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Paul Park, the person accused of ambushing a complete stranger as she exercised on a preferred Nashville, Tennessee, path and taking pictures her to demise, was because of make his first courtroom look on Thursday.
Park, 29, of Brentwood, was arrested lower than 24 hours after Vanderbilt graduate Alyssa Lokits, 34, was discovered lifeless on the Mill Creek Greenway path.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Division has not revealed a motive within the killing that has left close by residents terrified.
Park was charged with prison murder in connection to Lokits’ demise.
ARREST MADE LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER NASHVILLE WOMAN WAS SHOT TO DEATH WHILE WALKING ON POPULAR TRAIL
Nashville police introduced a suspect was arrested lower than 24 hours after the homicide of Alyssa Lokits. (Metropolitan Nashville Police/Vanderbilt College)
In accordance with Williamson County courtroom data obtained by Fox Information Digital, Park had a prison background with two prior offenses.
In 2017, Park was sentenced to probation as a part of judicial diversion after a home assault arrest.
Then in 2018, Park was sentenced to 10 days in jail and supervised probation for violating his unique probation sentence following his arrest for possession of medicine, with intent to fabricate, ship or promote. One of many three drug expenses was ultimately dismissed as a part of a plea deal and Park pleaded responsible to the opposite two drug expenses.
Lokits’ household launched an announcement to native station WSMV 4, describing her as “a pressure to be reckoned with.”
“Dr. Alyssa Lokits, Ph.D. was a pressure to be reckoned with — pushed, profitable, sensible, and immensely proficient. Her fearless spirit and unwavering love impressed all who had the privilege to know her. She was a pal to everybody, at all times providing her generosity, pleasure, and light-weight to these round her,” the household stated in an announcement.
“Her boundless help for her massive household and quite a few family members was evident in each side of her life. She at all times confirmed up for these she cared about, bringing power and love together with her wherever she went. The lack of such a vibrant, compassionate, and memorable lady is devastating, and she or he might be deeply missed by her household, associates, and all these whose lives she touched,” the assertion continued.
The household is requesting privateness as they take care of and navigate their “unimaginable grief.”
“We’re deeply disturbed by the heinous acts of assault and homicide towards our beloved daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, niece, and pal,” the household stated.
UTAH MOM SHOT MISSING NATIONAL GUARD HUSBAND IN HIS SLEEP, SUGGESTED LOVER ‘TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE’: POLICE
Paul Park was booked into the Davidson County jail. He’s at the moment being held with out bond on a prison murder cost. (The Metropolitan Nashville Police Division )
The neighborhood can be rallying round Lokits’ demise and calling on legislation enforcement and town to implement extra security measures.
Councilman John Rutherford stated the world wants extra gates, extra lighting and elevated patrols. He added that there’s a want for license plate readers (LPRs), which might must be authorized by the mayor, who has withheld funding, based on Fox 17.
Throughout a press convention on Tuesday, Nashville Police Chief John Drake echoed Rutherford and acknowledged the necessity for LPRs.
“LPRs would have made a distinction. LPRs make us safer,” Drake stated.
Drake added that Park and Lokits didn’t know one another and that this was a random assault through which he tried to sexually assault her earlier than fatally taking pictures her.
FORMER VEGAS DEMOCRAT POLITICIAN CONVICTED OF KILLING REPORTER IS SENTENCED TO AT LEAST 28 YEARS
Metropolitan Nashville Police introduced that they made an arrest in connection to the deadly taking pictures of a girl out on a stroll in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday night. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Division)
Paula Parker, a member of the church Lokits attended, stated she was shocked when she heard the information of Lokits’ homicide.
“Alyssa was a part of the church we attended. We have not seen her in just a few years, however we watched Alyssa develop from a toddler to an adolescent. She was a godly, form, loving, enjoyable, assured, and clever younger lady with desires of changing into a neuroscientist with the intention to assist others,” Parker wrote in a submit on Fb. “I am grateful the police arrested her killer. Please pray for the Lokits household.”
One in every of Lokits’ neighbors, Man Gilchrist, advised Fox 17 that he was “completely devastated and shocked” to listen to about her homicide. He added that she labored from residence and was at all times useful.
“She was simply extremely form to me and the neighbors adored her,” Gilchrist stated.
In accordance with Vanderbilt College, Lokits graduated from the college in 2017. She labored within the Hamm Lab as a graduate pupil in neuroscience.
Investigators decided that Lokits was out exercising within the space of the greenway path on Monday night when Park stepped out from between two parked automobiles and started following her at a “brisk tempo.”
Some witnesses claimed to have heard a girl screaming, “Assist! He’s making an attempt to rape me,” adopted by gunfire.
Witnesses additionally advised police that they noticed a person, probably Asian, on prime of Lokits earlier than photographs have been fired.
Police stated Lotkits and Park then walked out of view of the park’s surveillance digital camera. Nonetheless, video captured Park returning to his grey automobile with “scratches on his arms and blood on his clothes.”
2ND SUSPECT ARRESTED IN DEADLY HOME INVASION AFTER PHONY UTILITY WORKERS TARGET UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOOD
A person has been arrested in connection to the deadly taking pictures of a girl who was killed whereas strolling Monday on a preferred Nashville, Tenn., strolling path. (X/@MNPDNashville)
Park then fled the parking space in a dark-colored four-door sedan in direction of Outdated Hickory Boulevard, based on police.
Later within the night, a significant break within the case occurred when a witness who was native to the world offered police with extra video footage recorded on his automobile’s dashcam that was parked on the greenway trailhead.
Police stated the dashcam recorded clear photos of Park in addition to his automobile, whereas one other witness was capable of present a portion of Park’s license plate quantity.
Police stated one other main break within the case occurred when MNPD Murder Detective Shannon Forsyth reviewed the picture of the suspect taken from the witness’s dashcam and acknowledged the suspect as being the similar twin brother of a suicide case that she had labored on in December 2021.
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Detectives arrange surveillance at Park’s Brentwood residence, adopted him after he left and stopped him in Davidson County after the murder arrest warrant was issued.
“We sincerely recognize the swift and diligent efforts of the Nashville Metro Police Division, investigators, and witnesses/bystanders of their support to Alyssa and their apprehension of the person accountable. For a grave crime there needs to be grave penalties, and we are going to proceed to help the authorities in looking for justice for Alyssa to the fullest extent of the legislation. We’d additionally wish to thank the neighborhood for his or her help and compassion throughout this extremely troublesome time,” the Lotkits household stated.
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